APA February 2013 Newsletter

Arizona Pilots Associationhttp://www.azpilots.org

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APA NEWSLETTER2013 February

Asa Dean, Editor

Table of ContentsPresident's Report........................................................3

Tommy Thomason, APA President................................3Executive Director’s Report, Feb, 2013......................3

Jim Timm, Executive Director.......................................3February Accident Summary.......................................5

Jim Timm......................................................................5Planning Guide: APA Weekend Getaway Flights...................................7

Craig Albright, Cirrus N857CD @ KCHD, CFI/IITrip Leader, Weekend Getaway FlightsSecretary, Arizona Pilots Association............................7

Winter Weather; Fly Or Drive?.................................10Howard Deevers..........................................................10

Backcountry Schedule...............................................11Tommy Thomason.......................................................11

Arizona Backcountry Progress!.................................12Mark Spencer, APA Vice President, RAF Liaison, AZ 12

Pleasant Valley (P48) (Turf) Event............................14GAARMS Report: January 19, 2013.........................15

Fred Gibbs...................................................................15Support APA with Stylish Merchandise....................17APA Website..............................................................18

Stefanie Spencer..........................................................18Newsletter Authors....................................................18

Monthly Deadlines......................................................18Advertisements..........................................................18APA Membership......................................................18

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President's Report

Tommy Thomason, APA President

Hello and welcome to our February issue of the Arizona Pilots Association Newsletter. January has been another month of great flying weather even though we did experience a few days of colder than normal weather for us. Ron Stafford kicked off the first of our monthly Social Dinners at Deer Valley Airpor'ts restaurant. We had a lower than expected turnout but, I’m sure it will gain momentum as we get the holidays behind us and more aviation enthusiasts want to get together with other like-minded folks for dinner and just talk about flying.

The monthly ‘Third Weekend’ fly-in to Grapevine hosted by Charlie and Paul Pitkin this month had a turnout of roughly 28 aircraft and nearly 60 aviators and their family and friends. We had planes and pilots from each end of the state as well as some of our New Mexico friends and a group of Alaskan pilots show up for some of Charlie’s incredible dutch oven chili for lunch. Four aircraft and roughly 6 of our more hearty pilots camped out to brave the cool night while the rest of us headed home to our nice warm beds. Mark and Stefanie Spencer completed the repair of the A/V system at the Forest Service visitor center, leaving a truly pleased Forest Service team.

The Arizona Pilots Association was also well represented at Aviation Day at the Capitol this year making friends with a number of our state representatives.

Mark Spencer met with the Forest Service at the Double Circle Ranch & Airstrip to accept a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the backcountry pilot community.

Have Fun,Tommy

Executive Director’s Report, Feb, 2013

Jim Timm, Executive Director

The flying weather has been good and the lower temperatures have been great for improved engine and airplane performance along with our own. In some cases it’s been a bit too cold for some of us “desert rats”, Please remember, we are in that time of the year that care needs to be exercised when encountering snow and icing conditions.

From AOPA, we just learned about the glider pilot that flew over a nuclear power plant in South Carolina and got arrested and thrown in jail for it. In attempting a cross country flight, the pilot, while attempting to find sufficient lift to permit returning to his glider port starting point, over flew a nuclear power plant. When a nearby Regional Airport relayed over the Unicom that law enforcement wanted him to land, he flew to that airport and landed and was greeted by a swarm of law enforcement vehicles. The pilot wound up spending the night in jail until everything could get sorted out. The pilot was finally told the “breach of peace charge” would be dismissed if he agreed not to take any legal action against county law enforcement. He said, he reluctantly agreed.

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This story has "grown legs" and is now everywhere. This incident happened 6 months ago, and we are now learning about it. One glider pilot is not the real story here. The real story is that this is not a single issue. Pilots are being detained without knowing why more often now. Remember that John and Martha King were detained in California for something they did not do. There are other similar stories. It would appear that aviation is under attack. Watch out, and report any undue law issues to AOPA and APA. Keep in mind, we have a large nuclear power station west of Phoenix and while it does not have an airspace restriction, it would be wise to avoid flying over or near it and attracting unwanted attention.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

APA participated in the Arizona Aviation Day At The Capitol event on January 15 which was pulled together by the Arizona Airports Association. The purpose of the event was to interact during a luncheon with our legislators to inform them of the importance of general aviation and the positive economic impact we have on the states economy. It was a successful event. It gave us an opportunity to talk with some of the legislators and their staffers and establish contacts.

While you may have already replaced your paper pilot’s certificate with the new plastic one, be aware that the FAA has a mandate that all paper airman's certificates including repairman and mechanics must be replaced with a plastic certificate on or before March 31. 2013. If you have a paper certificate after that date, you will not be permitted to exercise the privileges of that certificate. The best way to get a new replacement certificate is to follow the instructions hear.

By now you should have received your 2013 Arizona Aircraft Registration notice. Be sure to get your 2013 registration in before the end of February deadline. These fees are used for Arizona airport maintenance and improvement grants.

Aviation safety needs to be a concern for all of us. From the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports, there have been three aviation accidents in Arizona this last reporting period. Two of them involved a fatality. See my February Aviation Accident Report for details.

We are continuing to work with airports around the state, by providing the general aviation user input in the planning process of updating the Airport Master Plans. We are presently working on both the Gila Bend Municipal Airport and the Nogales International Airport Master plan update and an update of the Phoenix Sky Harbor FAA Part 150 Noise Study.

THINGS TO DO - PLACES TO GO FOR BREAKFAST:

The first Saturday of the month there is a fly-in breakfast at Coolidge Airport (P08). Time: 8:00 to 11:00 am.

The last Saturday of the month there is a fly-in breakfast at Casa Grande Airport (CGZ)Time: 7:00 to 10:00 am.

(Both of these fly-in breakfasts are put on by a service group in their respective communities to raise funds for community service projects.)

The third Saturday of the month there is a fly-in breakfast at Benson (E95) at Southwest Aviation

(Rumor has it that there may be special fuel prices for breakfast attendees.)

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February Accident Summary

Jim Timm

In this regular reporting of aviation accidents that have occurred in Arizona, we need to learn from the mistakes being made and take corrective action to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.

In this last reporting period, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported three aviation accidents in Arizona. Of these, there were two fatal accidents and one accident resulting in both serious and minor injuries. This is not the way we needed to end the year. There were additional aircraft accidents I am aware of that had occurred in the reporting period that had not been recorded and reported by the NTSB, however, I’m sure they will be available for the next report. The cause of one of the fatal accidents may have been weather related and the other was not very apparent from the preliminary report. For that, we will have to wait for the final NTSB report. The injury accident was the result of excessively low level flight resulting in impact with the surface. It was very fortunate that there were no fatalities.

While the number of accidents reported were down, this really has been a rather dark reporting period for aviation safety with the number of fatal accidents that occurred.

The following information was taken from the preliminary reports that had been issued by the NTSB and contain only the initial information available and are subject to change and may contain errors. Any errors in the preliminary NTSB reports will be corrected when the more detailed final report is completed, which in some cases may be a year or more later.

Accident Date; Friday, December 7, 2012 (Reported 1/14/13)Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation Location; Roosevelt LakeAircraft; Robinson Helicopter Company R44HInjuries; 1 Serious, 2 Minor(Preliminary and Final Report)

The pilot descended the helicopter out of mountainous terrain and then continued over a large mountain lake, cruising about 100 knots, between 200 and 250 feet. The lake water was very clear and perfectly calm. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to check instruments, and when he looked outside and below the helicopter, he experienced a feeling of mental confusion similar to vertigo. At this point the pilot estimated that the helicopter was between 15 and 20 feet above the water. He pulled aft on the cyclic, the helicopter impacted the water, pitched forward, and sank. The pilot and his two passengers were able to egress the helicopter while it was submerged.

Immediately after the accident the pilot told a Park Ranger, who was on-scene, that he was traveling a little low and thinks he set a skid in the water. One of the passengers stated that moments before the collision with the water, the pilot had asked them if they wanted to get closer to the water and if they wanted to chase some birds.

Pilot data was unavailable.

Accident Date; Tuesday, December 18, 2012Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation Location; PaysonAircraft; Piper PA31-350Injuries; 1 Fatal

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On December 18, 2012, about 1825 MST, a Piper PA-31-350 was lost from FAA radio and radar contact about 10 miles southwest of Payson during an IFR flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). The wreckage was located the following day; the pilot had received fatal injuries. The flight was being operated as Ameriflight 3853 as a cargo flight for United Parcel Service (UPS). Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity at the time contact with the airplane was lost.

The flight departed Holbrook Municipal Airport (P14), about its scheduled time of 1700, with a scheduled arrival time of 1730 at Payson Airport (PAN). According to the driver of the UPS truck who was at PAN and was scheduled to meet the flight, he never saw or heard the airplane and the driver left PAN about 20 minutes after the flight was due.

According to FAA air traffic control (ATC) information, the flight's first ATC contact was with Albuquerque air route traffic control center about 1812, when the airplane was at an altitude of 13,800 feet; the pilot requested a clearance to PHX. The flight was assigned a discrete transponder code, radar identified, and then instructed to proceed "direct" to PHX. The flight was instructed to be at 10,000 feet when it was 40 miles from PHX. Shortly after the airplane reached the assigned altitude, the pilot requested a lower altitude; his request was denied due to ATC minimum vectoring altitude limitations. Shortly thereafter, radio and radar contact was lost. The last primary radar target associated with the airplane was recorded at 1824.

Weather conditions in the area precluded an aerial search until the following day. About 0950 MST on December 19, 2012, the wreckage was located at the same approximate latitude/longitude as the last radar target associated with the airplane, at an approximate elevation of about 7,000 feet. The accident site was located about 12.4 miles, on a true bearing of about 213 degrees, from PAN.

The 1735 automated weather observation at PAN included winds from 170 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 2,600 feet above ground level (agl), an overcast layer at 3,300 feet agl; temperature 6 degrees C; dew point 3 degrees C; and an altimeter setting of 29.78 inches of mercury.

The 1815 automated weather observation at PAN included similar conditions, except for scattered clouds at 2,600 feet agl, a broken cloud layer at 3,100 feet agl, and an overcast layer at 4,500 feet agl. AIRMETs for icing, IFR, mountain obscuration, and moderate turbulence for the accident site about the accident time were issued several hours before the accident. There were several PIREPs of light to moderate icing for central Arizona that were issued prior the accident.

According to FAA information, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with the same ratings. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued in August 2012. The pilot was an employee of Ameriflight. According to Ameriflight information, the pilot had a total flight experience of about 1,908 hours, including about 346 hours in the accident airplane make and model.

Accident Date; Sunday December 23, 2012 Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation Location; WelltonAircraft; Charland And Tim VortexInjuries; 1 Fatal

On December 23, 2012, about 1427 MST, a Charland Vortex gyrocopter sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near a private airport near Wellton. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal local flight which departed at an undetermined time.

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A witness who was located near the airport reported observing the gyrocopter descend rapidly and impact the ground nose first. Another witness, who was flying in the airport traffic pattern, reported that the gyrocopter was performing numerous takeoffs and landings. He further stated that while on takeoff roll he noticed the wreckage of the gyrocopter and aborted his takeoff in order to go to the wreckage and render assistance.

Examination of the accident site by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator in charge (IIC) revealed that the wreckage of the gyrocopter was located about 50 feet west from runway 36 about halfway down the runway. All major structural components of the gyrocopter were located within an approximate 85-foot long debris path. The gyrocopter was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Pilot data was unavailable.

Planning Guide: APA Weekend Getaway Flights

Craig Albright, Cirrus N857CD @ KCHD, CFI/IITrip Leader, Weekend Getaway FlightsSecretary, Arizona Pilots Association

APA’s Weekend Getaway Flights are short duration trips created with the non-pilot in mind. As such, potential “Getaway” trips must satisfy the following criteria:

• 0.5 – 3 days in duration

• Destination is interesting to a non-pilot right-seater (e.g., spouse, SO, etc.)

• Ground-time significantly exceeds flight-time.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for prospective Trip Leaders of Weekend Getaway Flights. Although planning a Weekend Getaway Flight doesn’t differ greatly from planning any other trip that involves inviting friends along, this guide is offered in hopes of facilitating the process.

The aforementioned guidance is offered in two stages: General Comments and Trip Leader Tasks. The titles are considered to be self-explanatory.

General Comments

• These trips are intended to be relatively impromptu and short-to-modest duration. They shouldn’t be so long, complex, or expensive as to compete with family vacations.

• It’s considered critical that the destination, itself, be attractive to a non-pilot. The motivation behind these trips is to promote General Aviation by having people other than pilots experience the benefits of GA. And, most right-seaters (e.g., spouses, SOs, etc.) have long-since lost interest in the proverbial $100 hamburger. Similarly, while the idea of spending all day wandering through an aviation museum appeals to aviation enthusiasts, many non-flying partners view it with a jaundiced eye.

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• The destinations don’t need to have universal appeal. Folks will participate in some events but not others. Don’t try to appeal to everyone; seeking “the lowest common denominator” will produce bland, uninspiring outcomes.

• To avoid conflicts with other aviation organizations, generally schedule Weekend Getaway Flights for the 4th weekend of the month.

Trip Leader Tasks

• Select a destination. Remember that we have already established a “shopping list” of potential Weekend Getaway destinations. (Contact the APA Secretary for a current copy.) However, feel free to think outside the box provided that your selection meets the three Weekend Getaway criteria mentioned earlier. Endeavor to select destinations so that flights are daytime and VFR.

• Check the routing and determine an approximate distance to the destination. If a particular route offers unique advantages (e.g., sight-seeing, lower terrain, etc.), you might suggest something. However, do not micromanage this! Everyone going on the trip acts as PIC of their aircraft and does their own flight planning.

• Specify the desired arrival time, in Zulu. Plan to arrive at the destination by mid-to-late morning. People will be flying different aircraft, from different locations, at different altitudes, and along different routes. The only way to get people to arrive at a specified location at a given time is to leave that responsibility in their hands. It’s quite necessary to establish a specific time, however. Don’t delay the entire group to await the arrival of a single aircraft.

• Establish the trip duration. Is this an overnight trip or a 1-day event? Remember the criteria that ground-time should significantly exceed flight-time. Don’t try to squeeze so much into a single day that folks are exhausted when they return home. And, remember that not everyone flies at night, or commands an aircraft that is legal for night flight! If you want (or need) to involve night flight, try to provide options.

• Confirm the facilities (or lack thereof) at the destination airport. Is there fuel? If there is a choice of FBOs, determine who has the least expensive avgas. What are their operating hours? Is there an overnight tie-down fee? Anticipate (to some degree) the questions that other pilots will have and provide the answers in advance. Like flying an airplane, try to think several steps ahead of the group.

• Identify most restaurants in advance. Weekend Getaways should bear no resemblance to the usual “$100 hamburger run”. However, Getaways are definitely social events. And, sharing meals is part of that experience. Don’t worry unduly about satisfying everyone’s predilections regarding cuisine. Just pick locations that you’d enjoy. Although you should provide a modicum of consideration as Trip Leader, you are the Trip Leader! And, your desires count at least as much as everyone else’s.

• Gather contact information. In general, you should obtain contact information for the destination FBO, ground transportation, lodging, and cell phone numbers for all APA participants. You’ll need a participant “headcount” for planning purposes (e.g., FBO tie-downs, ground transportation, possible lodging, meal reservations, etc.). To minimize paperwork and facilitate communication, I recommend having the information in electronic form. My current preference is to send myself emails and employ an electronic calendar.

• Identify activities at destination. Presumably the destination has a unique attraction (or set of activities) that warrants its selection as a Weekend Getaway destination. Investigate to the degree

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required to attract someone else’s interest – particularly the interest of a non-pilot. If you were trying to ignite interest in a friend who was unfamiliar with the destination, how would you do that? And, in particular, how would you do that with a group of people, via the written word. To the maximum extent possible, do not make group reservations/obligations that have a financial obligation. Rather, simply ensure that the likely group size can be accommodated. Investigate costs, times, and any unique requirements (e.g., clothing, sun protection, footwear, etc.) associated with that particular activity.

• Advertise/communicate regarding the Weekend Getaway Flight. There are at least four potential avenues when it comes to advertising/communication:

1. APA email “blast” – APA members can “subscribe” to various types of website-based communications. And, one of the subscription options is “Weekend Getaways”. If you send an email to the APA Webmaster, the webmaster can relay that email to all Weekend Getaway subscribers. That way, you can immediately reach all APA members who have indicated an interest in our Weekend Getaway Flights.

2. Personal email – Invite friends and associates who are pilots and may or may not be APA members. Weekend Getaway Flights are intended to promote GA activity for the state of Arizona, not just for APA members. However, if they are not APA members, make sure that they sign the APA Release of Liability prior to the trip. Executed forms (or scanned copies) should be sent to the APA Secretary or the Membership Coordinator. (APA members are supposed to already have a liability release on file as part of their membership information.)

3. APA Newsletter – APA publishes a monthly, electronic newsletter that is available to all of its members. You could write an article for publication. (The newsletter editor will handle formatting and can accept a variety of word processor formats.) However, articles for the newsletter must be received well in advance of the publication date. So, the timing may or may not be workable for a given Getaway.

4. APA website announcement – You can create an announcement (e.g., an email) describing the event, and the APA Webmaster can post it for you on our website. Know, however, that many members do not frequent the website and may not see your announcement.

• Manage & lead the Weekend Getaway Flight. Basically, this involves executing all of the previously mentioned tasks according to the following rough schedule

• 3-4 weeks before takeoff – Identify a destination and collect just enough information to qualify it as a suitable Weekend Getaway Flight. Determine the approximate distance (from your home airport) and the major attraction(s). Create a brief announcement using the information at-hand so that people can reserve time in their schedules. Your announcement should request that they contact you via email so that you can develop a list of participants.

• 2 weeks before takeoff – Complete the aforementioned tasks so that you have a complete event plan. In general, it will probably contain the following elements: arrival date/time, destination airport & FBO, fuel availability, ground transportation, meals, activities, lodging, and departure date/time. Make another mass communication, this one containing enough information that participants can make detailed plans of their own. And, if they haven’t made up their mind to attend, perhaps having the details will prompt a decision. Continue monitoring the “headcount”.

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• 4-5 days before takeoff – Provide headcount information and latest plan to various vendors at the destination. Send a final email to just the participants with any last minute details. Suggest that everyone monitor 123.45 MHz while enroute if they’d like to chat with other APA Weekend Getaway “escapees”.

• Upon arrival at destination – Note the names of the pilots who actually participated. After the event, provide this information to the APA Secretary for generation of “thank-you notes” to the participants. This provides proof of their participation in case they wish to take advantage of our 501(c)3 status and claim a deduction for trip expenses on their tax return.

Please note that planning and conducting a Weekend Getaway Flight usually takes relatively little time. In fact, I spent more time writing this Planning Guide than I spent planning our last Weekend Getaway! So, why not volunteer a little of your time and take the lead? The worst that could happen is that you get to share the airspace with your fellow pilots, probably make a few new friends, and fly somewhere interesting. Blue skies & tailwinds...

Winter Weather; Fly Or Drive?

Howard Deevers

Winter showed up in full force in December at many locations throughout the U. S. In Arizona we are not bothered by the severe winter weather as much as other parts of the country are, but we do get our share as well. If you live or want to fly to Northern Arizona you might as well live in Wisconsin, or the upper mid west. The weather is about the same. Flagstaff gets feet of snow every year, and many times enough snow to close Interstate 40 for a day or longer.

Several large weather fronts passed across the country in December, causing air carriers to delay or cancel flights, highway road crews to work overtime trying to keep major roadways open, and many other problems that can be associated with big storms. Do you want to fly your Cessna 172 in stuff like that? Probably not.

This is where your instruction in weather pays you back. During your training, your instructor talked about weather, where to get weather information, and how to use it. My instructor said “weather is what you get, not what is forecast.” By that he did not mean that we should ignore weather forecasts, but should spend time understanding them. Then, there is the pilot's right to “take a look;” flying toward the weather, and looking at it to see if you can continue the flight or not. And, knowing your limitations and the limitations of the airplane you are flying. When you do “take a look,” be careful that you don’t look too close!

Air carriers fly-in almost anything, and some times in weather that they should not fly in, in order to satisfy the customer who thinks that nothing should stand in their way of getting to the destination. The large jet aircraft are equipped with de-icing, radar, and other tools to assist them in getting the mission completed. Most of our small aircraft are not so equipped, so we need to be even more careful about what we will fly into. So when I hear that the airlines are canceling flights, in an area that I want to fly to, I stay on the ground.

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Being instrument rated and understanding weather go hand in hand. That is why there are so many weather questions on the Instrument Written test. Study weather! If you have not seen Fred Gibbs' seminars on Weather look for them and go when you can. Fred makes the difficult seem simple with good examples and easy to understand graphics. He has the background, as a former Flight Service Specialist, and he knows his stuff.

Probably the most dangerous thing about winter flying is the possibility of in-flight icing. Accumulating ice on the surfaces of any airplane can degrade performance and controllability so quickly that pilots are unprepared to deal with it. Does all winter flying cause icing? Not always. Some times it is so cold that snow will not stick to the airplane. I have made a few flights in snow with no icing at all but I was prepared to make a diversion or reverse course at the first sign of ice sticking to me. There were other times that I knew that the clouds were full of ice and declined to make the flight, rented a car and drove home, and returned a week later to bring the plane home when the weather was better.

This winter I drove to Denver. The first part of the drive through Arizona, and North past Albuquerque, NM was so nice I was wishing I could have flown the trip. Passing Santa Fe, NM, I was reminded why it was better to be driving. The first sign was the light snow sticking to the car. Then the road was covered. Then strong winds from the mountains blowing Eastward. I got off of the road before even getting to Colorado and checked into a motel for the night. The next morning it was very cold and the car was covered in ice. I could only think about what it would have been like if I were flying my Warrior, or any other small airplane. It confirmed my decision to drive, and even then to get off of the road when conditions were bad enough.

Not all winter flights are dramatic, but you do need to pay more attention to your airplane. Do a very good pre-flight, and understand your instruments. Your static system can freeze and your instruments will read differently. Know and understand the signs that your pitot /static system has iced up, and what to do about it. Make sure your heater and defroster system work OK before a winter flight. And, take an emergency kit with you just in case you end up somewhere you did not intend to be.

Check your Arizona Pilots Association website for seminars on weather and winter flying, and attend one as soon as you can. And, don’t forget to bring Your Wingman. Fly safely. Arizona has some of the best weather to fly in, and “Spring is just around the corner,” according to the ‘Groundhog.’

Backcountry Schedule

Tommy Thomason

As a reminder, Grapevine is open the 3rd weekend of each month for anyone wishing to fly-in, hangout awhile, picnic, go fishing, hiking, or camp out.

2013 CalendarFebruary 9 2nd annual P48, Pleasant Valley (Turf) backcountry clinicFebruary 15-17 Grapevine Special Event – BBQ & live music - Hosts Dianne and Jim WisdaMarch 2 Four Pillars fly-in – coordinator, Mark SpencerMarch 15-17 Grapevine open weekend – Hosts Tommy Thomason / Mark SpencerApril 19-21 Grapevine open weekend – Host ?April 27-28 Double Circles – coordinator,Ty GreenwadeMay 17-? Grapevine open weekend – Host ?May 25 AZ24 Young, AZ – Coordinator ?

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Arizona Backcountry Progress!

Mark Spencer, APA Vice President, RAF Liaison, AZ

Who would have imagined two years ago that the pilot community in Arizona would enjoy an award winning relationship with the U. S. Forest Service? Yet this is exactly the relationship we have built with the Tonto and the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest teams. On January 16th, I was taken by surprise as District Ranger (DR) Telles interrupted our presentation to a group of Forest Service leaders in order to present a Certificate of Appreciation to the Arizona Pilot’s Association, RAF, and local ranchers for working to preserve the historic Double Circle Ranch and airstrip. The presentation took place at the invitation of DR Telles in a long abandoned log structure we hope, with the pilot community’s continued help, to convert to an activity and

education center for pilots, locals, and other visitors. In attendance with me were RAF Vice President Dan Prill, and local ranchers, Doug Dressler and Wilma Jenkins. Attendees from the Forest Service included four District Rangers, safety, natural resource, archeology and recreation staff from around the Apache Sitgreaves forest. The award was a complete surprise as I was only told that they wanted to learn about the pilot community’s efforts at the Double Circle. Recreation staff, Micah Miller, explained to the group

that the pilot community had donated roughly $28,000 in labor, materials and travel to the Double Circle in their efforts to clean up and start the preservation process over the last year. Doug and Wilma were also rightfully presented with their own certificates. After our presentation we had time to show the team around the site and explain what our typical fly in camp or event looked like. Imagine my joy as one DR leaned over to DR Telles and proclaimed, “I just wish I had something like this on my district.” I jumped in and gently commented, “We can arrange that!” I hope to follow up with a visit to the Forest Supervisor’s office in Springerville in the coming weeks.

On January 7th, RAF President John McKenna, Utah Liaison Wayne Loeber , Utah pilot Paul Bowmar, and I attended a meeting at the Arizona State Land Department’s office in Phoenix to discuss a possible lease agreement for the Tuweep airstrip, formerly L50. This was the 6th in a series of meetings that began in

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November of 2011. We are not there yet, so stay tuned as we explore further options to reopen this one of a kind airstrip. Sadly, Utah Pilot Paul Bowmar and his friend Nicholas Reznick were killed just over a week after our Tuweep meeting in Phoenix. Paul’s aircraft collided with power lines in southern Utah on Saturday January 19th. In my very brief friendship with Paul, I can tell the pilot community has lost a great friend.

January also brought another fantastic 80 degree winter fly in camp at the Grapevine airstrip, formerly E75, with 28 aircraft and nearly 60 people in attendance. Part of the crowd was a few RV’rs from New Mexico. We received a great, big thank you from District Ranger Kelly Jardine and his staff for the repair of the Roosevelt Visitor Center’s A/V System. Pilots Dale Jensen, Dr. William Waller, my better half Stefanie, and I made several visits to the visitor center, near

the dam, where we were finally able to rehabilitate the system that had been down for over a year. I guess we don’t just fix fences and runways! You’ll want to put the February 15th thru 17th weekend on your calendar as the aviation community descends on this incredibly beautiful sight for another fly-in camping weekend, complete with a local historian providing stories around the campfire. Pack your sleeping bag, stay tuned to the APA website and Facebook page for news on this event!

We have a way to go in Arizona and Forest Service Region 3, but we have sure come a long way, from no airstrips open in 2010 to District Rangers wishing they had an airstrip on their districts! I am convinced that as long as pilots continue to honor Forest Service leadership with responsible positive behavior we will continue to enjoy this trend.

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Pleasant Valley (P48) (Turf) Event

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GAARMS Report: January 19, 2013

Fred Gibbs

Well, 2012 has come and gone, leaving us with a dismal safety record with regard to fatal accidents. There were 12 fatal accidents within the state of Arizona, and 3 out-of-state fatal accidents involving Arizona-based pilots. All told, 29 people perished as a result of those accidents. That is a significant increase over 2011, and we, as fellow pilots and human beings, need to do something to reduce that terrible figure. The Arizona Pilots Association (APA) has teamed with the Arizona Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) to form the Arizona Aircraft Accident Review Group (AZ AARG) in an effort to review, analyze and dissect each accident in an effort to find mitigation strategies to prevent future accidents based on our findings of these terrible accidents.

We intend to take a very hard, in-depth look at each fatal accident within the state of Arizona, as well as any fatal accident out of state involving an Arizona-based pilot in an effort to understand as much of the circumstances leading up to or causing that accident in an effort to identify anything we, as the Arizona Pilots Association, and its related safety programs, can or could do to prevent similar accidents in the future. That process is not nearly as easy as you would think. There may be several mitigating or circumstantial inputs/decisions etc that led up to the actual accident, in which any different decision or action could have prevented or at least lessened the severity of the outcome.

Fortunately, none of the pilots involved in those fatal accidents were fellow APA members, but we keep thinking if they had been, would the outcome have been any different? We are also pretty sure none of the involved pilots participated in the FAA’s WINGS safety program, all the programs that we – the APA Safety Program – do every month, or for that matter, any one else does also! Had we been able to reach them with our safety programs, could we have altered the outcome? Hard questions to answer, considering the variety of accidents reported. The really big question is “Why were they fatal?” A Loss of power should NOT result in a fatal accident, just an off-airport landing. However, that is easy to say, not knowing what was under the aircraft at the time, how much altitude the pilot had at the time, and the decisions that had to be made on just where to it put down! And in reality, not every off-airport landing is survivable. We all know flying includes some risk, but then, so does living, driving, crossing the street, etc. So, we need to identify the risks, mitigate any risk down to as small a risk as possible, apply your good sense and experience, and enjoy flying, enjoy the trip, and enjoy the thrill and exhilaration of flying.

The 2013 GAARMS Symposium is currently in the planning stages. It will be a 1/2-day event on Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the ASU campus – Picacho Hall - over at the Williams-Gateway Airport. Last year's program was a 2-day event with national speakers, sort of a state-wide kick-off effort. This year's event will be more localized, delving into the specific accidents that have occurred during 2012, and will include several presentations on both analysis and proposals for reducing the accident rate for 2013 and beyond. Any one interested in helping or participating in the GAARMS effort should contact me, Fred Gibbs, at [email protected] or 928-266-0112 (h) or my cell at 410-206-3753. We can use all the help we can get, and there are several areas of expertise needed. You should want to help, because it is always better to be part of the solution than part of the problem!

Attendance to the GAARMS Symposium is free, part of the FAA’s WINGS program, and all the specifics will be advertised under the FAASAFETY.GOV process, in our next newsletter, and on the APA website. Watch your email for the SPANS announcement around the 1st of March, 2013. Plenty of

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seating is available, but we hope to fill up the approximately 150 seats, so think about registering early. You can also just show up at the door at 8:30AM on March 23rd and register then.

Until then, Safety programs coming up in 2013 are –

February 9th - Lake Pleasant airport - non-towered airport OperationsApril (date TBD) - Flagstaff - EFB WorkshopMAY(date TBD) - Sedona – program TBD

A new 2013 schedule of programs will be forthcoming shortly. Should you desire a safety program at your local airport, simply contact APA via our website or call our Safety Program director, Craig Albright, at 480-776-9358.

WINGMAN Program – At our safety programs, we are always pleased to see the same faces because we know you care about safety, but the problem is we always see the same faces!

So, we respectfully ask that when you come to a safety program, bring your Wingman. Never come alone to a safety program. But don’t just bring your buddy who always comes with you, bring some one new, and get your BFF to also bring some one new. Help us expand our ocean of faces, and Craig will never complain when a program runs out of chairs!

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Support APA with Stylish MerchandiseAPA Merchandise is available at the APA Web Store. You may also contact any

APA board member if you have questions or need additional information.

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APA Website

Stefanie SpencerPlease visit our website for the latest information. Leave email for Stefanie: [email protected].

Newsletter Authors

Monthly DeadlinesTo dispel confusion, this is a list of deadlines not a schedule. We might achieve these goals early, but we will strive to publish on time.

• 14th Editor reminds “The Team” to submit articles• 19th Authors submit articles and advertisements• 22nd Editor submits preliminary draft to President• 25th President returns corrected draft to editor• 27th Editor submits final draft and layout to President• 28th President gives final approval for mass mailing

Contact the editor, Asa Dean: [email protected]

AdvertisementsAs a benefit to current members you may advertise aviation related items that are owned by you in the APA Newsletter. Maximum size of the ad is 7 inches wide, 8 inches high. Resizing is at the discretion of the editor. Minimum 12 point font. The following copy-ready formats are acceptable: Text (TXT), Portable Document Format (PDF), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or JPG), Microsoft Word document (DOC) or Open Office Writer (ODT). Provided that it is a simple layout and you don't know how to produce your own copy-ready advertisement, you may simply include your text and attach picture(s) in an email. Please email your ad to our membership coordinator and copy the newsletter editor. Advertisements to run more than one month must be resubmitted each month.

APA MembershipIf you are not a member of APA you are encouraged to join and help us keep General Aviation available, safe and fun for all. Your support is very much appreciated. For details and to sign up, please visit our website (click here to join) where you can use PayPal. The dues are $25.00 per year, per member with additional household members for $5.00 each, per member per year. Save with the 2-year rate which is $45.00 or the 3-year rate is $68.00. If you have questions, Nancy Benscoter contact by email or call 480-580-0974. Please send your application and check to: Arizona Pilots Association, P.O. Box 61242, Phoenix, AZ 85082. You can also help APA by purchasing some of our logo items, Caps, T-Shirts and Patches.

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